South African court lifts ban on selling rhino horn

Despite all this, there is some good news: the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs plans to appeal the ruling, so the moratorium on trade will remain in place for now as the government prepares to make its case. It’s important to note that the ruling would only legalize trade within the country itself. Under CITES rules , it’s still illegal to trade rhino horn outside the country’s borders — at least for now. According to Save The Rhino, South Africa is considering submitting a proposal at next year’s CITES meeting in Johannesburg asking for international trade to be opened up as well.